Method of electrical welding



Aug. 11, 1925. 1,548,858

A. c. TAYLOR METHOD OF ELECTRICAL WELDING Filed Feb, 3,1923 2 SheetsSheet 1 A. C. TAYLOR Aug. 11, 1 25.

METHOD OF ELECTRICAL WELDING 2 Sheets-Sheet File apnma'rls QtEAYLOR, or WARREN, OHIO.

mnrnon or ELECTRICAL WELDING.

Application filed February 3, 1923. Serial No. 616,712.

Z '0 all whom it may camera Be it known that I, ALBEn'rIs C. TArLoR,

a citizen of the United: States, residing at Warren, in the county of 'TrumbullIr-and State of Ohio, have invented certaiii' new and j useful Improvements in a 'Me thod of Electrical Welding, of which the follojyving is a specification. f f

This invention is an improvement in electric welding methods and"means, and more particularly an improvementover the "welding the meeting faces of metal sheets and other parts together inspotspr circuma scribed areas by pressure and an electric weldingcurrent. Thus the general practice is to pass an electric welding current able and of great value toienlarge an strengthen such welds, wherefore-the iifnai I arget through the sheets in a'direct path which is more or less fixed bytwo oppositely-situated electrodes, and in so doing it is' well k'nown d'sa s other factors hinder orfpreve t On. the, other hand itis' al conceded that it is exceedingly cc of this invention i is to provide tend-means,forproducing'spot welds area. and greater strength'zthan lia throughthe wer'k on a'line. at right angl to the' plane of the Stiiface being welded, the a. pressurebeing applied by dir'ect contact of the electrodes at t e placez-or'spot where the greatest heat is produced. Such practices have valued but also their limitations as in many iil's'tances the size and strength of the weld produced is not sufficient nor satisfactory for all classes of work. Tlrus i -welding with electrodeszin' the usualway the size'of a spot weld is limited'bythe thickness of the material being welded, and by other conditions more or less inherent in the Work and electrodes'which determine the exact path the welding currentand a definite beginning place or core for the weld.

Other conditions aifect the making and maintaining of a perfect electrical contact within the entire circumscribed area mvolved especially under the reactions and changes which occur. To elucidate, if two' single welding: electrodes having smoothly finlshed cont'act ends, one inch in diameter adapted ito t make perfect electrical contact 0f an inch in thickness, and a heavy presa sure is applied while passing awelding current" through the parts, a weld of approximethods and means heretofore'practiced for l f three-sixteenths tonne-fourth of an,

no'way of controlling the location of the weld within the one-inch contact area. In other words the weld actually produced is much smaller than the contact electrode and each subsequent weld is invariably located in adiiferent place within the circumscribed fieldc'ontact. The reason'forthis is not fully understood but apparentlythe current passes through thesheets at some particular "favorable point and instantly heats the metal and expands it at that point; this xpansion ofthe metal then causes the surecjausethe remaining, contact surfaces er Separated from-or not. as solidly herent property or characteristic in the 'lsbeing'used or. operated upon deter s the exact path and effective spread of ldin g'cur'rent. I In any event mere enweld, as onlya small 'weld, smallerthan the electrode, is'made. However, I have discovered a" way to produce a larger and stronger weldand to definitely fix the location of 'tlie welding current in the welding area of contact and in the workusing a sin- 'gle electrode on one side of the work and two "or more electrodes on the opposite side aces of the plates to bulge at this particu ossibly the contact surfacesv ul ged at the same immediate point so that 1 he current continues'to flow. through this p th'b ponthe-work or because some inof :tlie "work. These electrodes are entirely independent of'each other and are brought in conta'dt with the work, preferably in close juxtaposition and 'under yieldable pressure.

In the accompanying drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 are front and side views of a welding apparatus which may be used to produce 05 7 nt of the contacting end of the elec- A trod --does not determine the. size of the and bi-parted electrode shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6, are end and side views respectively, of a tri-parted electrode. Figs. 7'and 8 are plan andsectional views illustrating the approximate form of a weld produced with a bi-parted electrode. Fig. 9 is a side view of apair of single power electrodes such as commonly used, the

dotted line showing the line of least resist.-

ance for a-welding current when weldingis attempted contiguous to a completed spot weld in two sheets or strips of metal; Fig. 10 is a perspective View of a bi-parted or pairof complementary electrodes.

The .welding apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2,'comprises a single vertically-movable copper electrode 2 of relatively largediameter having a smoothly-finished flat endadapted to bear down upon the work to be welded. To exemplify, the article to be welded may consist of a sheet metal plate or strip 3 laid upon asecond plate or strip 4. The bottom plate 4 is placed at rest upon a sectional or parted electrode or a multiple number of electrodes, for example a pair of complementary copper electrodes 5 and 6 having reduced tapering contact points 7 and 8, terminating in flat semi-circular or semi-oval contact faces 9 and 10, respectively. Each contact point 7 and 8 is offset in respect to the vertical axis of the main. body or stem of which it forms an integral part, and the two offset points are.-

set closely adjacent each other with a nar row space or air gap separating them verti cally en'a line coincident with the axis of the larger upper electrode 2. The opposed vertical faces 11 of the contact points 7-and 8 are madelfiat to provide parallel juxta posed straight edges for the flat contact.

faces 9 and 10, the two points 7 and 8 making in appearance and effect a laminated or bi-parted lower electrode, viewed from the top, in which the two semi-oval contact faces 9 and 10 make asubstantially elliptical fignrewhich is slightly parted transversely at its middle. Each semi-oval contact face approximates the maximum size of a spot weld as heretofore produced following common practices upon a piece of work in which the thickness or properties of the metal and other factors limit or'de termine the maximum size of the weld. Consequently I increase the size of the weld in a single welding operation by' using two or more contact points set closely together within the field or area of direct pressure and electrical contact obtained by a single upper electrode, or a bi-parted pressure-applying elect-rode, and by permitting each contact point to act independently of the others immediately adjacent thereto. Thns 8 has a reduced stem 13 mounted to slidevertically within a stationary-arm 14 but upheld by a coiled spring l5 resting upon theupper face of said arm. An adjustable" sponding lower ends opposite an adjustable referring to Figs. 1 and 2,'each point 7 andf screw 18 width serves as a-stop limit for the downward movement of the points. pointed end'of the screw affords a rest for the linkcentrally between the points so, that when. the movement of the points down- .wardly is arrested an equalizing'pressure will be obtained. Thus in a welding oper-v ation initial heating occurs under the com- The pensating-pressure of the two springs and.

then welding and upsetting of the metal follows under a heavier and more-positive pressure equalized by link 17 when stopped by screw 18.- Each point 7 and 8-has a lateral lug 19 to which the flexible secondary.

bands of a transformer may be connected,

substantially as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 2 wherein T represents the transformer and 20 the connecting conductors or hands. The u per'electrode 2 is secured in a holder 21 which is also-electrically connected; to the secondary of the'transformer T as usual.

Any suitable pressure applying device may be used'to raise and lower". electrode -2, a rack and gear 21 being shown in the present instance as an exemplification of one operating assembly.

-a.transformer." Bar 22 is relativelyheavy and long and quite rigid, butbeing divided longitudinally for 'the greater part of its In Figs. 3 and 4, I show a pair of copper:

length, eac lrdivisional part or arnipossesses. sufiieient spring to permit the individual points to yield independently in welding a'-' piece of work placed at .rest upon both oints. Two separate arms may be used spaced welding. points, 'which are opposed by a pressure-applying electrode in the same way as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

- In Figs. 5 and 6, a three point electrode instead of a bifurcated bar to support the:

24 is illustrated which is designed to con-- tact with the work at three iuxt'aposedv places so closely contiguous that welding of all of the material contacted-by the three. points will occur approximately simultaneously upon applying pressure and passing. an electric welding current througha single larger pressure-applying. electrode situated op osite'thereto.

n practicing my present method of weld- 1,54e,sss

ing the metal parts to be united together are tion upon the lower set of wel mg points and gthe upper electrode is then lowered intocontact with the upper side of the top piece of, metal. An electric welding current'of'high amperage and low voltage is then switched on and the sheets or pieces of metal between the electrodes is rapidly heated to a welding temperature by the electric. current passing through the meeting faces of the overlapping faces Within the circumscribed area of contact of the single electrode above and the set of points or parted electrodes below. The electric current in passing through the work finds its most direct course to and through one or the other of'the two or more welding points engaging thebottom side of the work. However the current may be divided and distributed to all of the contiguous welding points at the same time,-if not equally then unequally. Then as pressure is applied by means of the single upper electrode the parted electrodes or separated points all yield together to the pressure from above. Inequalities in thickness of the material being welded,scale, etc., may cause unequal starting movements of the segregated welding points and also slight variations in contact and pressure at the segregated contact areas, but'the' supporting springs for the individual points or the inherent springin the arms supporting the points, compensate for such inequalities. Then as the springs are being compressed the path of the current becomes fixed at severalplaces of contact instead of only one and .a uniform welding temperature is obtained over a relatively larger area than that considered heretofore feasible. To obtain this result, I ;et the individual welding points close ..to gether and provide a slight vertical play between them, whereby such points adapt themselves instantly to any changing conditions arising within the common area of contact. When uniform heating and a welding temperature is established throughout the entire area of-contact, all of which must sure being built up when a final set is required. But this form of apparatus permits an accommodatin play between the divided current-diverting electrodes or points during the initial steps of welding,

I heln gether and complete theweld after the elee trodes have found their own beari ,1 The welding current may be derived frene ic-sin gle transformer'connected to theelectrode olders, or I may connect a separate transformer to each current-diverting welding point. In the latter. case the transformers are connected jointly to the upper or pressure-applying electrode and separately to the other welding points, and instead of pointed electrodes I may use other forms of current and pressure applying devices providing they are closely 1uxtaposed and related substantially. as herein disclosed.

The product of the resent method is illustrated in Figs. 7 fan 8, the oval figure W shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7 representthe completed weld, and the same weld shown in section in Fig. 8 to more clear y indicate the amount of material involved compared with the combined thickness of the plates. In Fig. 9, I show two overlapping plates .24 and 25 and two pointed electrodes 26 and 27, the plates having a weld 28 already produced therein. In attemptin to enlarge this weld, say to the size of t e-elongated weld shown in Fig. 7. it would be necessary to produce a second weld contiguous to the onealready made. This is not practical for the reason that when the electrodes are placed as shown in Fig. 9, the greatest part of the current will travel through the previously welding portion as indicated by the dotted .line -a. which is the path of least resistance and not enough current will pass directly through from one electrode to the other to make a dependable weld of the strength and size desired. Furthermore if a good weld is made adjoining another it would requiretwo operations instead of one as compared with my method. In making a weld with my -method, using two or more vertically-parted electrodes the conditions are balanced or made uniform and the current passes directly through the work at a diversity of points from the upper electrode to the lower set of electrodes, thereby resulting in one large weld of great strength inone opera tion. To permit each individual electrode 'or weldingpoint to operate under indeas large by juxtaposing three electrodes of the same polarity, and so on within practlcal limit using a multiple number of close'ly' uxtaposed electrodes, each having relatively in the same circumscribed area until a uniform welding temperature is reached throughout the involved area, of pressure and contact;

2. A method of electricresistance welding, consisting in bringing separate pieces of metal into facial contact and applying pressure in a compensating manner at closely juxtaposed places within a small circumscribed area thereof while passing an electric welding current transversely'through the meeting surfaces of said pieces at said ju'xtaposed places until a single large spot weld is producd.

3.. A method of electric resistance welding, consisting in placing overlaid pieces of metal between a multiple number of pressure 'a ))1 in and electric current conduetin l l a c electrodes and in imparting a diversified pressure within a small circumscribed area to one side of the overlaid pieces while a plying pressure on the opposite side over tl fe same area and passing an electric welding current through the overlaid pieces within the involved area.

4. A method of electric resistance welding which comprises the step of placing separate pieces of metal into facial contact with a number of closely-juxtaposed welding points, and the steps of applying pressure to said pieces opposite saidpoints while passing an electric welding current through the pieces and points under a compensating play of said points during pressure-applying operations until a single spot weld is produced within the contact areaof all said points.

5. A method of electric resistance welding, comprising the step of placing overlapping pieces of metal between a multiple the electrodes and the material within the pressure-applyin area.

6. A method 0% comprising the steps of engaging one side of the work to be welded by a multiple numelectric resistance welding ber of closely=juxtaposed independently movable welding points and of applying a. compensating pressure to the work at said points while passing an: electric welding curent through the points, and finally equalizing the pressure to upset the weld.

' 7. A method of producing a welding temperature in an extended spot in the meeting surfaces of two or more contacting pieces or sheets of metal, consisting in placing said pieces between a single and a sectional laminated electrode; in applying pressure with said electrodes whilepermitting the sections of the laminated electrode to move independently under the applied pressure; and in passing a divided electric current through the sheets and electrodes on the line of applied pressure until a welding temperature has been reached.

8. A method of producing a welding temperature in an extended spot in the meeting surfaces of two or more contacting pieces or sheets of a metal, consisting in placing said pieces between a single and a sectional laminated electrode; in applying pressure with said electrodes while permitting the sections of the laminated electrode to move independently under the applied pressure; and in passing a divided electric current through the sheets and electrodes on the line of applied pressure until a welding temperature has beenreached, and then applying additional pressure with said electrodes to complete the weld.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature hereto.

ALBERTIS C. TAYLOR. 

